


Power of Love

by Wolfine



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2016-06-15
Packaged: 2018-07-15 07:53:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7214020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfine/pseuds/Wolfine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John finds a new room in the city that does something when he touches the shaft in the middle. No lie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Power of Love

He was just exploring, at least that’s what he hoped the others figured he was doing. He had watched for an opening and slipped away quietly when everyone was occupied. ‘Furtive glance ON, Captain’ he thought to himself as his eyes quickly scanned the hallway. Lengthening his stride, he was soon far from the area where most of the daily activity took place. He relaxed somewhat, the need to be The Major diminished now. His thoughts, like his steps, wandered easily and aimlessly. Thankfully they ended at different points, or he would be standing in front of Rodney McKay’s door. His thoughts were doing a lot of that lately, ending with McKay. He found his initial dislike of Rodney was turning into something of a crush, but The Major didn’t do crushes.

Apparently though, John did.

He bit his lip as he walked, angry with himself. What was he, twelve? All right, so it wasn’t a crush. He found Rodney “attractive.” Okay, he could work with that. It meant essentially the same thing but it sounded way more adult, and his thoughts about Rodney were becoming more adult by the day. He found himself checking out Rodney as the man walked away from him, wondering what his hand would feel like fitted against the other man’s ass cheek. He tended to lean into Rodney’s space more than he used to, inhaling just a bit more than he needed to in order to catch the man’s scent. He would lose track of conversations just listening to him speak, letting the nearly constant drone lull him. At night he was starting to curl around his pillow, pretending not to be so alone in his bed, and finding himself wanting it to be Rodney’s warm body that he held. Good thing it was just an attraction and not something stupid, like a crush. Otherwise he’d be wishing Rodney had some feelings other than just friendship for him.

Groaning, he covered his face with his hands and leaned against a wall. “Oh fuck me, it’s a crush.” 

To his amazement, a section of the wall hummed and swung inward, dumping him onto the floor. He quickly got to his feet and whirled back to the wall which now looked seamless. Placing his hand against it, he watched, fascinated, as it hummed and swung outward into the hall, hinging at the top like a flap. He stepped into the hall and allowed the door to swing shut, seemingly sealing itself into a solid wall again. He grinned, imagining how revved Rodney was going to get over this. He did it a few more times, to make sure it really worked, then decided he might as well explore the room they had never known was there before.

A tiny prick of guilt flitted through him, hinting that he should probably tell Weir where he was and what he was doing, but she was really getting on his nerves lately. Besides, the room looked fairly harmless. It was circular, with a huge column in the middle from floor to ceiling and a wide, circular bench ringing the column. He stepped over the bench and had a seat, finding the column to be almost touching his knees. It seemed to be made of opaque crystal, shiny but solid looking, and it didn’t do a thing when he touched it. He stood on the bench and walked all the way around, wondering if was the Ancients form of television as you were obviously meant to sit and watch the column. Still, it was a little too close for comfort.

“Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to sit so close? You’ll ruin your eyesight.” He mumbled to himself, and not finding anything else of interest in the room, took a seat straddling the bench. Would be nice if they could pick up a signal from Earth, that way he could invite Rodney down to watch a game with him. He lay back on the bench, staring at the featureless ceiling, picturing Rodney smiling and relaxed while he slipped his arm around Rodney’s waist. He would be careful, of course, not to frighten Rodney, but eventually Mr. Genius IQ would get the idea and he would lean in to say something and before you know it, their lips would meet and they would fall into the most amazing kiss…

John sighed as he realized he was getting aroused, but a quick glance at the wall entrance confirmed that it appeared solid. Why not? It was quiet, it was dimly lit and there was no one else around. Feeling like a naughty schoolboy, he unzipped, wincing at how loud it sounded in the empty room. He pushed his boxers out of the way and took himself in hand while the other hand stole under his shirt to play with his hard nipples. He closed his eyes, imagining it was Rodney’s hand that was exploring his chest, pinching almost too hard, making him gasp. His cock jumped in his right hand fist and he stroked it awkwardly, pretending Rodney wasn’t as skilled in this as he was with a scientific problem. He arched slightly, enjoying the image playing in his head, Rodney learning the feel of him, touching him all over.

John imagined Rodney stroking his thighs, murmuring slightly dirty things that made John moan. His cock was hard now and John licked his palm to ease the friction a bit. He trailed a fingertip across the slit and around the head, picturing Rodney spreading his precum over the tightness, sending electrical jolts through him. His breathing was heavy and fast as he thought of the things he would say to Rodney, encouraging him to play with his cock. Stroking faster now, John sat up and slid a hand under his balls to cup them, rolling them gently. He loved imagining how Rodney’s fist would look pumping him while he nibbled on his neck, breathing sweet nothings into his ear. Things like ‘Come for me, John’ and ‘I want to feel you all over me.’ John worked his cock faster now, panting as he imagined Rodney’s cock joining his, the taut member slapping against his own as they jacked off together.

John’s faced scrunched up and he groaned slightly, riding the crest of an intense orgasm. His right hand was a blur over his cock and he threw his left hand out against the column for support and threw his head back, listening to his inner thoughts as Rodney pressed his face to John and told him he loved him. Eyes tightly shut, John never noticed the pulse of light that momentarily illuminated the column and then raced into the ceiling and the floor.

* * *

She awoke slowly, pulling herself out of her quiet state with the vague notion that she had been asleep for a long time. A very long time. Gone was the muffled sound of the sea which had been all she could sense since she had gone below into its cooling depths. She made note of the air and light that now surrounded her, as pleased as she was capable of being that the ones who belonged here had returned. Curious, she scanned the star systems above, noting an enormous amount of time had passed. Still, it really didn’t matter to her as those who belonged were here again. She scanned herself and discovered that there seemed to be only one with the necessary spark, though there were currently many beings within her borders. A few others were similar, but only one seemed to have the spark she was programmed to look for. Belatedly, she remembered her First Order, and searched for the empty ones. She had been taught they were a grave danger to the ones who belonged here, and her programming allowed her to destroy empty ones unless told otherwise. Within her borders were clustered pockets of beings which did not possess the necessary spark. Were they the empty ones? She couldn’t be sure, but her programming was geared in a highly defensive mode and she began to gather her strength. A sustained electrical blast should be sufficient to disable any empty ones and give those who belonged here the chance to deal with them properly. 

All of her thoughts happened in about three seconds. Gathering her strength took a bit more.

 

* * *

“Are you reading this energy spike? Where’s it coming from?”

McKay didn’t bother sighing this time, he had an awful headache and he really wished he had taken the time to grab a cookie before all hell broke loose. “Frankly, I don’t care. I’m more worried about where it’s going to go.”

“Rodney?” Weir’s worried voice floated across the lab.

“I don’t know! I’m working on it. Nothing I was working on is responsible for this.” At that thought, he stopped short. “Where is Major Sheppard?” He patched them into Sheppard’s com. “Major?”

In a room deep in the city, John nearly jumped out of his skin. “Yes?” He winced at hearing how badly his voice cracked. “Is there a problem?”

McKay allowed himself that sigh now. “Where are you? No, scratch that, what are you touching?”

Looking into his lap, John was sorely tempted to snark back that he only had his hand on his cock, but he wisely decided against it. “Uh, nothing. Why?” 

“There’s an energy buildup that’s coming from somewhere and oh, I dunno, since most of the weird things that happen in this city seem to revolve around you and the Magical Gene, I naturally have to wonder if…”

“Okay, all right! I’m on my way.” He already had his pants zipped up and was bringing the door back into being. Breathing a quick thank you that it still worked, he pelted down the hall as fast as he could. 

 

* * *

She tracked the one with the necessary spark as he left the power room. His behavior didn’t seem to make a lot of sense to her, but her main function was the continued well being of the ones who belonged, so she watched him. Curiously, he was making his way towards the ones who were reading as empty. She stopped gathering her strength and waited. If he went to the empty ones, then perhaps he did not want her to destroy them. The ones who belonged here often brought other beings to her, so she would wait and see what his life signs said. When he had finally made his way to the main cluster and remained alive and unharmed, she let her strength bleed slowly back into the power column. He might have need of it again soon since there seemed to be so little of it. She was somewhat concerned that there was only one with the necessary spark, but perhaps more who belonged here would arrive soon. She wondered why he didn’t just talk to her like they used to, but for now, she needed to conserve power.

* * *

“I…haven’t a clue.” Sheppard leaned against the rounded far wall watching Rodney and his team of scientists crawling over his secret room. He was somewhat miffed that the room no longer was a secret, but he had caved and told them where he was when some of the city’s systems had powered up briefly. Rodney had been very excited, explaining that the energy could be harnessed for all sorts of things, not the least of which was powering the Stargate. Problem was, Sheppard had no idea what he had done, if anything.

Rodney sighed, turning away from the column at last to spear Sheppard with another look. “So, you were just sitting here? Nothing else?” 

Sheppard sighed himself, having repeated this small amount of information countless times now and his patience was thinning. “Yes. I sat here and wondered if this was the Ancient equivalent of TV and if we could ever get football games from Earth.” He folded his arms and watched Rodney closely to see if the man was buying the story. It was truth, just not all of it. Bad enough he had to give up his secret room, he was damned if he was going to tell them, especially Weir, what he was doing here. Although it was kind of hot having Rodney wandering around in this very spot.

Rodney’s lips thinned and he turned to his team. “Okay, no sense wasting time here. Go back to the control room and see if you can trace where the power came from. I’ll finish up here.” Glad to be out of the now too small room, Rodney’s crew filed out. Rodney himself hung back, blocking Sheppard’s hasty retreat. “Major, I need to speak to you for a minute.”

Not sure he liked where this was headed, Sheppard huffed as he plopped back down onto the bench. Rodney watched the room seal itself back up after his team left, then came over to sit beside Sheppard, his scanner held loosely in his hand. “So, you were sitting on the bench…” Rodney waved his hand impatiently to encourage Sheppard, who rolled his eyes.

“Yes, dreaming of tuning in to PBS back on Earth.”

Rodney blinked at him and smirked. “Naturally, being as you’re their target audience.” 

That got him a small glare. “I’ll have you know I’m a big supporter of PBS.”

“Well, unless you have a kink for Muppets, I’m guessing you were thinking of more than educational children’s programming.” Sheppard’s face pinked and Rodney honed in like a shark scenting blood. He loved having the Major at a disadvantage.

“Whatever gave you that idea?” Rodney flicked his eyes at his scanner and Sheppard knew he was sunk. Despite his care in catching his come and cleaning up in the bathroom, there must have been traces of his semen on the bench. He didn’t like it, but confessing to Rodney here was sort of a twisted thrill. “Look, Rodney, Atlantis is…well, it’s hard to get any time alone. You’re a guy, you know how it is…” 

Rodney was having the time of his life. It wasn’t every day you got to see Major John Sheppard stumbling out something embarrassing, his face a delightful rosy blush. Rodney put on his most clueless expression. “So you’re telling me, that while we were experiencing massive power fluctuations, you were down here…”

Sheppard scrubbed his hands over his face. Despite his fantasies about the man, when you dealt with him in person, you just wanted to throttle him. “Yes. I was down here. All by myself, for once. Doing what comes naturally.” Eyes locked on his hands, he wondered what Rodney would say. He stole a glance at the man when he heard a wheezing sound. Rodney was wearing a conspiratorial grin and snorting.

“So…so you’re telling me that while we were in the control room *shitting our pants* over the power surge, you were down here…down here…” 

He wanted to see if he could get McKay to lose it, so he made s subtle gesture at his crotch, indicating pumping. “Doing what comes naturally.” He was rewarded with McKay crumbling into laughter, his head thrown back momentarily as he enjoyed the irony. It made Sheppard grin like a loon. It wasn’t often Rodney let his guard down like this, and it warmed his heart a bit that it was he who had managed to make Rodney laugh. The mirth wound down with Rodney wiping at his eyes and Sheppard chuckling every time he looked at Rodney. 

“Look, I highly doubt what I was doing-“

“Whacking off.” Rodney was still fighting the giggles.

Sheppard snorted. “What are you, twelve? Okay, I highly doubt that my *whacking off* had anything to do with your power surges.” 

McKay sobered somewhat, looking around the room. “Well, nothing is for certain when it comes to this city.” He looked pointedly at Sheppard. “Especially when it comes to *you* and this city. I’ll need to run some tests. Recreate the conditions exactly.”

Sheppard was in the process of shrugging when he clued in to what the other man was suggesting and pinned Rodney with widened eyes. “Are you kidding me?” He imagined Beckett hooking up remote sensors to record his bio signs, Rodney monitoring from the control room, Weir looking over his shoulder… Sheppard shuddered at that thought, sure he would never be able to get hard again. “Absolutely not!”

Rodney could understand the Major’s reluctance. It had taken him weeks to feel at ease enough to even jerk off in the shower. “Look, if this could in any way help restore power to Atlantis, I think it is at least worth investigating.”

“No.”

Rodney grew exasperated, not a new feeling when dealing with the stubborn John Sheppard. “Major, it is a constant source of amazement to me that you fail to grasp how tenuous our position in this galaxy truly is. Once the-“

“And it is a source of amazement to me that you think I can perform in front of the entire scientific staff-“

“Who said anything about performing in front of everybody?” Despite his better judgment, Rodney was willing to offer just about anything at this point. His voice dropped to a conspiratorial level. “I won’t disclose what you were doing down here if you promise to try it again with me.”

Sheppard nearly swallowed his tongue. “Agckha?”

Rodney blushed to his roots, eyes quickly focusing on the floor and hands waving nervously. “What I mean…meant was, well, obviously not *me* as in being here…obviously…but as in me not telling anyone but…uhm…me. Gathering data. Alone. In the control room. While you…Obviously.” 

Sheppard was assaulted with conflicting emotions. On the one hand, he was embarrassed as all hell for admitting he jerked off in this very room, but it was to Rodney, and it had allowed them to share a bond built on juvenile guilt. Then Rodney had gone and dropped his voice into the most sexy range Sheppard had ever heard it go, and suggest he join in the fun. Sheppard’s brain had nearly melted, but…obviously…it hadn’t come out the way Rodney had intended, more was the pity. “So, you want to monitor the city while I…obviously?”

Rodney gave a curt nod. He still couldn’t look at Sheppard. “Essentially, yes.”

“Why Rodney McKay, you voyeur you!” This was more like it. He like the feeling of control when he had Rodney squirming. “If your face gets any redder, you could power the ZPM yourself.” Rodney glared at him, narrowing his eyes dangerously. “Okay, okay. I’ll do it, but only if you promise not to tell Mom.”

Rodney blinked, then smiled at Sheppard in understanding. “Weir will never know. Unless you screw something up. Then I’ll have to tell her.” He smirked at Sheppard, imagining the Major trying to explain himself to Elizabeth.

“It’s a deal. Oh, and by the way? I was sitting right about there when I…you know.” He gestured vaguely at where Rodney was now sitting.

“Ah, crap!” Rodney jumped up like he was on fire and Major Sheppard laughed all the way back to the control room.

* * *

John sat at his laptop, still tapping out the schedule for the coming weeks. Being in charge of all the people under him sucked like the devil. No wonder Sumner was always so cranky. A knock at his door brought a welcome halt to his work. “Come in. Hey Rodney.”

McKay swept over to his desk and leaned down, his voice pitched low. “Major, I have the monitoring panel to myself for the evening. I suggest we…you know. Do the experiment.”

Sheppard sighed. “Rodney, I can’t just turn this on and off like a faucet you know.”

“Sure you can. Think happy thoughts.”

Sheppard scowled at him. “Besides, I apparently have some bad news for you.”

Now it was Rodney’s turn to scowl. “Apparently?”

“Did you notice any changes yesterday? Any power spikes?”

“No.”

“Well, then, I’m guessing I have nothing to do with them then. I was…in the room yesterday.”

“What? You went and…without me?”

Sheppard smirked at Rodney’s crushed look. “Geez Rodney, you need to get out more, you know?”

Rodney was having none of that. He paced the room angrily. “You should have contacted me. What if something had happened down there? Besides, part of this whole exercise is to pinpoint where this power is coming from. I have to be at the control panel to watch for fluctuations.”

Sheppard sighed. Part of him was excited in a kinky sort of way that Rodney seemed to have his heart set on knowing when exactly he was jerking off, but another part of him felt hollow. He had gone to the room to see if he really was responsible for the surge, but he had wanked off vigorously and there hadn’t been a single blip. He remembered how he had felt afterwards, like he wasn’t even there. “I dunno, McKay…”

“Look, just once, all right? I’ve got the panel all to myself for the next two hours. Come on, John, you know how I am. I’m not going to let this go until we test every possible cause.”

Sheppard scratched his head. He had liked hearing Rodney call him by his first name. “Okay, but if I get caught, I’m hanging your underwear from the balcony.”

Rodney considered. “Fair enough. Now get going before Weir gets back from dinner.”

Sheppard winced. “Please, please do not mention Weir. Bad enough I have to try to do this on command.”

* * *

Twenty minutes later, cock in hand, Sheppard considered calling it off. He just couldn’t seem to concentrate and his dick was starting to smart from all the rubbing. His nipples were already rather tender from being pinched and squeezed so much. He was slumped down on the bench, his back against the column, trying to dig up a decent fantasy to get himself off. Problem was, he couldn’t seem to focus long enough to really accomplish anything. Defeated, he radioed McKay.

“Rodney?”

McKay’s voice was pitched low. “Wow, that was…”

“If you say ‘fast’, I’m gonna come up there and hit you with a board.” He swallowed, wondering how he was going to say this. “I didn’t, if you’re wondering.”

“Well, that explains why I’ve got nothing up here.”

“Rodney, you’re not even sure if this is related to the power surge.”

“No, it is. Just trust me, I’m on the right track. I can feel it in my bones.”

Sheppard sighed and mumbled under his breath. “Wish I could.”

“What? Wait, are you telling me you’re not just being obstinate, that you really can’t…uh…”

Sheppard scrubbed a hand over his face, wanting the floor to swallow him up and simultaneously worried the city would respond to his mental desire and actually do it. “I’m just…not in the mood, I guess.” 

Rodney kept his voice down, but Sheppard could almost feel him vibrating with frustration. “What do you mean, not in the mood? Get in the mood. Do whatever you normally do. Picture Teyla naked or something.”

“Eeeew, McKay! Teyla’s like, my sister. Picturing her naked is just…eeew.”

“Fine. Pick some other girl then.”

Sheppard waited a few seconds, wondering if he should say what was on his mind. “What if I don’t want to pick a girl?”

There was an answering few seconds of silence from Rodney’s end. “Stop being contrary.”

“I’m not.”

“Oh…well, then. Uhm, are you trying to tell me something?”

“No, and you’re not asking, either.”

“Ah. I see.”

There was more silence in the small room, making Sheppard’s stomach tighten. “Is that a problem for you McKay?”

“No, actually. Actually, no. I just…didn’t expect this from you. Me, yes. People make that assumption all the time. Somehow staggering intellect equals a proclivity for being sexually attracted to members of the same sex, which, all right, in my case that was true, but maybe it’s more like my mind is open to many different equations, coming up with different ways of achieving the same answers without having to fall back on instinctive behavior patterns carved out sometime during the last ice age…”

Sheppard chuckled low as Rodney rattled on. Only Rodney could twist coming out into something about him and his amazing brain. Still, it had achieved a couple of things. Having Rodney talk to him while he had his cock in his fist was thrilling beyond words and was getting him hard. Rodney had also confessed that he wasn’t straight, or at least not exclusively, which had him wondering how experienced Rodney was. He closed his eyes and pictured them meeting together in this room, grabbing Rodney by the collar and pushing him against the wall to dive into a heated kiss, Rodney’s hands shaking and equally bruising as he returned fire. Heat meeting heat as they pulled at clothing, needing to feel skin and muscle against each other, their cocks sliding across hip bones to announce just how much they wanted each other, how much they loved each other. It was all Sheppard could do not to sob as he looked into Rodney’s eyes and saw those feelings mirrored back at him, the feelings Sheppard had never let anyone else see. But he could with Rodney, Rodney was safe because Rodney felt the same way and by the time Sheppard understood this…

“…couldn’t believe something like *that* could ever come out of *my* mouth…”

Ignorant of the column pulsing light behind him, Sheppard bit his lip as Rodney’s monologue melded with the images in his mind and Rodney fell to his knees to take John into his mouth. Eager lips parted over the tight skin of John’s cock, wetting it even as it was engulfed in slippery heat. The groan nearly escaped John, but he controlled himself, digging his fingers against the pillar as wetness exploded from the head of his cock.

“…from someone with an IQ less than his shoe size, but frankly I didn’t…hey! Major! It’s working! I’m getting power like there’s no tomorrow here! It’s practically off the charts. Unbelievable, this is amazing!”

Rodney went on, spouting various words of excitement over the rising power. The fantasy that John had been weaving came unraveled fairly quickly as he listened to the other man. His mood cooled faster than the come in his hand as Rodney waxed eloquent over the surge, making John feel even emptier than he had the other day when he had been by himself. He cleaned himself up efficiently, swallowing around something suspiciously like a lump in his throat and tried not to let this get to him. But it was hard. Rodney did like him-but it was for the power surge he could summon, nothing else.

“No..no…wait…oh, shit. It’s gone again. I wonder why it doesn’t…oh, fuck.”

Rodney’s tone set off some warning bells in Sheppard’s head, cutting through his somber mood. “Rodney? What is it?”

There was uncharacteristic silence for a scant few seconds. “Major, get up here as fast as you can. We have problems. Big problems.”

 

* * *

It had been like before, only longer this time. The one who had the spark had come to the power room again, although he was always alone and that confused her somewhat. Still, he had provided enough for her to run some of her systems and in a short amount of time she had performed one of her more useful functions. She had been able to look outward and recognize the empty ones. She had just begun to sort the energy into channels to cover the distance, but it had all ended too quickly and she was left with only enough power to let them know what she had found. Predictably, the one with the spark had moved quickly to one of the others, but confusingly, had never returned to the chamber. Unable to complete her task, she retreated back into a conservative mode and waited.

* * *

Weir’s eyebrow climbed. “So, the long range scanners just started up, all by themselves?”

“I know it sounds incredible, but that seems to be the modus operandi for Atlantis. I can’t really say what set them off, but it was a good thing they did…”

Sheppard’s jaw tightened somewhat, but otherwise he didn’t move. He listened as Rodney covered for them, not willing to join in the charade lest he contradict the tale Rodney was spinning. He recognized Rodney’s added nervousness, but chances were if anyone else saw it, they would chalk it up to Rodney’s reaction to the information gathered from the scanners. Wraith ships, a fleet of them, on course for Atlantis and due to arrive within weeks. It pretty much wigged everyone the fuck out. Plans were formulated to evacuate, which made Sheppard feel vaguely ill inside, thinking of the Wraith blasting the city to dust. It had become his home, maybe more so than to anyone else as it responded to him so readily. Riding these feelings was the ever-present guilt, but he pushed that aside to get the job done. 

Days later Sheppard was going over the final flight plans when the pain in his neck started up again. He hadn’t slept much since the discovery of the Wraith ships, and he wasn’t sure if falling unconscious at your desk for three hours constituted as sleep. He squeezed the back of his neck, wishing for someone else’s warm hands, which made him scowl. Rodney had initially run around like the proverbial chicken like everyone else, but thinking about it now, Sheppard hadn’t seen much of him lately. On a hunch, Sheppard swung by the mess to grab a few cookies on his way to what he now thought of as the TV room. If Rodney was there, he would appreciate the sugar. If he wasn’t, John would just eat them while he banged his head against the column to relieve the frustration.

Sure enough, coming down the corridor, he spied the door propped open with an equipment case. As much as Rodney had proved he could operate the door with his altered gene, he still was mistrustful of the city. John lifted the door and kicked the case out of the way, letting it seal itself behind him as he walked into the room. Rodney sat at the bench facing the column, but graced Sheppard with a curious look as he came in. Naturally, he zoned in on the cookies.

“How thoughtful Major. You brought me lunch.”

Sheppard straddled the bench next to him and handed him a cookie while taking a nibble on his own. “Rodney, how long have you been down here?”

Rodney blinked, checking his watch. “It’s eleven. A little early for lunch, but I had a Power Bar a short while ago, so it’s not like I…”

“Rodney, it’s eleven at *night.*”

“Oh.” Rodney scowled, tapping the watch face as if it had failed him somehow and stuffed the rest of the cookie into his mouth.

The thought of Rodney actually skipping a meal had Sheppard worried. “What are you doing down here anyway?”

“I’ve packed what needs to be, my team is handling the rest. I wanted to come down and examine the room again. It’s just…” Rodney stared at his hands, trying to decide if what he was going to say would be stupid. “Atlantis is like…ours now. I don’t want to let go, you know?” He glanced up at Sheppard shyly, waiting to see how the Major would react.

“I know exactly what you mean. I feel like I’m leaving a team member behind or something.” He gave Rodney a half smile and was rewarded with one back. Rodney let out the sigh he hadn’t realized he was holding. Somehow, despite their differences, he and John tended to operate on similar wavelengths and that thought brought him more comfort than he liked to admit. Sheppard placed a hand against the smooth column. “I’m really going to miss her.” Instantly a pulse hummed through the column, shooting up into the ceiling and down to the floor. Sheppard kept his hand on the column, hoping it would do it again.

Eyes wide, Rodney rose from the bench, firing off questions as fast as he could think of them as he paced the small room. “How did you do that? And why just now? Oh my God, are you horny? Having Wraith ships on their way makes you horny?”

Sheppard gave him his best ‘are you fucking kidding me’ look. “And you’re a genius?”

Rodney let that go. “Obviously you have to be touching the pillar, but is there a sequence? The duration of the pulse varies, but touching it doesn’t seem to be the only trigger.” Trying to follow Rodney’s train of thought, Sheppard took his hand away, then placed it back. 

Rodney returned to the bench, straddling it to face Sheppard, their knees touching. “There has to be something else which is the key. The last time when you were…” Rodney stuttered to a halt, his brow creased.

“Whacking off?” John supplied helpfully, hoping to get Rodney to blush but the man was on a roll.

“Yes. Not only did it power up the long range scanners, but it began to channel power to other sections of the city that normally don’t require that much juice. I figured it was bleedoff, but what if it’s some sort of weapon? I mean, why build this place without some way to protect yourself? It’s not logical. There has to be some sort of trigger, but naturally it’s nothing as simple as ‘push a button to eliminate your enemies.’ No, this is the Ancients we’re talking about. Can’t do anything simple to save their lives. Literally, as it turns out.”

Rodney was babbling, but Sheppard just let him go, enjoying the warmth of Rodney’s knees pressed against his. Once they left Atlantis, there would be little chance of enjoying Rodney’s company quite like this again, and Sheppard was storing memories for the desperate times ahead. Looking up, he realized Rodney was staring at him, his whole body close and intense. “What?”

“Okay, let’s review what we know. Number one, it’s you.” Rodney slapped the column for emphasis. “Not me, not Weir, not anybody else. You. Secondly, you have to be in contact with the column to produce the pulse. Correct?” He looked at Sheppard who nodded, fairly certain he had been touching the column each time. “But simply touching it isn’t enough, and yet it doesn’t seem to require intense sexual stimulation as you managed to produce a pulse just now. What were you thinking about when you were down here…whacking off.” Sheppard shook his head back and forth. No way was he telling Rodney he was having a gay fantasy about him! “Come on, Major! This could be life or death here.”

“But I wasn’t thinking about that just now. It can’t have anything to do with it!”

Rodney’s lips pressed together. The man had a point. Thinking furiously, he snapped his fingers and poked Sheppard in the chest. “Desire. It has to be. Just now, you desired for the city to not be attacked. That has to be it.” Sheppard looked skeptical. “Try it. Touch the column and want the city to be safe.” Sheppard closed his eyes as he often did when trying to get a piece of Ancient technology to work, but nothing happened. Had he been alone, he would have smacked his forehead against the unforgiving surface till his ears rang. “It’s not working. That has to be it. Why isn’t it working? This whole city responds to your wishes, your every want. How can this not work?” Rodney sounded downright betrayed. “Seriously, what were you thinking when you were down here before?” Sheppard was about to refuse again when Rodney got a look of understanding in his eyes that was followed quickly by a fleeting look of disappointment. “Not what. Who. The city is tied into your emotions, your wants. You need…him…here.”

Sheppard was glad Rodney understood it was not a woman he desired, but doubted that was the answer as the man of his desires was already with him. Still, who did Rodney think he wanted? “Him who?”

Rodney’s lips pressed together so hard they were turning white. “I’ll just go get him and…”

Sheppard reached out and snagged Rodney’s arm, preventing him from rising. “Who? Who do you think I want?”

Rodney looked at him with the forced patience of someone who knew way more than you did. “Lieutenant Ford.”

Sheppard’s face scrunched into a mixture of surprise and disgust. “Ford?”

“Well, yes. It’s logical. I mean he’s young, good looking, you two work well together. Look, Major, I may not seem to pay any attention to interpersonal relationships, but I can always spot a good match when I see one…”

Sheppard was still reeling from Rodney’s assumption and he hadn’t let go of Rodney’s arm yet. “Ford? Geez Rodney, first Teyla, now Ford. Next thing you know, you’ll be hooking me up with Weir. You couldn’t be more wrong.”

Rodney pursed his lips. “So I’m wrong. Fine. Just tell me who it is and I’ll get them down here. Just…please tell me it’s not Zelenka.” Sheppard gave him an appropriate look of horror which made Rodney feel much better. “Come on, tell me. Chances are we’re all going to die soon anyway. Who cares who knows?”

Sheppard chewed his lip, considering. Maybe Rodney was right. In a matter of days it could well be a moot point. “It’s you.”

Mr. Genius IQ must have felt the breeze as that one flew right over his head. “Me what?’

Sheppard resisted the urge to laugh. “You. I want you.” That hadn’t been as hard as he thought it would be, but Rodney’s jaw dropping may have helped somewhat. 

“ME? You want ME?” Rodney seemed pleased as well as stunned, a riotous grin breaking out on his face. “Okay then! We can work with this! I want you too.” He was confused because Sheppard didn’t seem as excited and happy as he was. It was all he could do to stay seated on the bench. “You want me, I’m here. That’s great, this simplifies everything. This has to work.” 

Rodney watched as Sheppard reached out and stroked the column, his mood dropping as the smooth rock remained dark. Sheppard tried several times, but nothing happened. When he finally caught Sheppard’s eyes, there were tears in them.

“It isn’t going to work, Rodney.”

“But…”

Sheppard grew angry. “It’s not going to work because it’s not real.”

“What?”

Sheppard blinked, letting the heat of his anger burn away any more wetness in his eyes. “Look, I know it’s not real, and the city knows. I can’t lie about this.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

He was breathing hard now, not really caring how much Rodney knew. “I may want you, but that’s not all that has to happen. The last time this worked, in my fantasy, you wanted me back. You’re only agreeing to this because you want this to work and it’s not real, so it’s not going to work.” He slammed his hand against the pillar again for emphasis, daring Rodney to contradict him.

Naturally, Rodney obliged. “You’re wrong! I do want you.”

“You do not.”

“Do too.”

“Do not!”

“Do too!”

Sheppard made an exasperated sound. “You do not. You’ve never once made any indication that you were attracted to me.”

That seemed to pull Rodney to a halt. “Well, there’s a reason for that. I wanted you, but I thought it best not to act on it.”

Sheppard wasn’t buying it. “Why? Because we work together? I’m military? Smell bad? What?” Rodney suddenly found the column very interesting. “Come on, Rodney. Dead soon anyway, remember?”

Rodney looked down at his hands, so close to the man he had, up until now, never permitted himself to want too much. It had always been there, buried deep under layers of hurt that he had borrowed from past experience, and he wasn’t sure if it was wise to let Sheppard see where those layers came from. One look at Sheppard’s fearlessness changed his mind, though, and he decided the man was right. “I just…I don’t let myself get involved with attractive and popular people like you.”

Sheppard’s lips twisted into a crooked smile. “I’m not…”

Rodney put up a hand to stop him. “Yes, you are. You remind me of someone I went to college with. He was gorgeous and failing several courses. I wound up tutoring him, and he taught me some things and then we graduated and we lost track of each other.”

Sheppard read between the lines. “You fell in love with him, didn’t you?”

Rodney sighed, hating having to relive his mistakes. “I was young and he said everything I needed to hear. He promised me we’d always be together, but he left as soon as we graduated. He only needed me for my brains. So you see Major, I know a lot about it not being real. And I wouldn’t do that to you.” Not sure how to make Sheppard believe him, he reached out to take John’s hands in his. They were warm and solid and made him feel like things would be okay, if he could only feel them around his body.

Sheppard swallowed, looking at Rodney to see if there was even the slightest hint of deception. It made some sense, even though he would have bet money on them being the last two people in the Pegasus galaxy to hook up together. Most times Rodney drove him crazy, but he had grown to genuinely like the man. He couldn’t explain it, but there was something about him that made Sheppard want to be with him all the time, even if they were fighting like cats and dogs. And the way Rodney was looking at him, like he wanted to kiss him but was afraid, so very afraid…

In the end, it was easy to reach up and grasp the back of Rodney’s head and gently pull him close enough to cover the man’s trembling lips with his own. Sheppard pressed against them gently in the universal question of acceptance, then pulled back slightly to see what Rodney would do. Happily, Rodney didn’t take long to make up his mind. Letting go of John’s hands, he grabbed his face and planted his lips back where they belonged and began to run his tongue over them. Moaning softly, John opened eagerly and Rodney dove in, his hands dropping to John’s arms to run up and down, feeling the hard muscles there. John’s head swam as he chased Rodney’s tongue back into his wet mouth, reaching around to run his hands down the man’s back until he reached his ass cheeks and gave him a squeeze.

Rodney squirmed, thinking this was a great idea and that John was entirely too far away. Running his hands down John’s shapely thighs, Rodney managed to get his hands underneath and pulled. It broke their kiss and made John laugh, but in the end, John wound up sitting in Rodney’s lap, his legs wrapped around Rodney’s waist. He smiled uncontrollably, thinking he probably looked really stupid, but it was Rodney so he didn’t care. Besides, Rodney was feeling up John’s ass and grinning like a loon, looking like a man who just had the best thing in the world fall into his lap. They shared another blistering kiss, arms wrapped securely around each other until they broke apart again for air.

“So…” Rodney was a bit breathless. “I guess you…really do want me.”

There was a gleam in John’s eye. “Prove it to you.” He placed his palm against the smooth column. Humming slightly, the damn thing lit up like a Christmas tree. 

“Whoa.” Rodney was suitably impressed. Part of his mind started wondering how the Ancients managed to convert raw emotion into energy, but John’s hand was snaking under his shirt in search of skin and he felt it was only polite to devote as much attention as possible to what the man was doing. There was a hard cock pressing against his lower abdomen and John was wiggling just the right way to press his ass against Rodney’s own healthy boner. There was a lot of moaning going on now and the general consensus was that both were wearing entirely too many clothes. Eager fingers grappled with fastenings and pushed at seams, but neither was willing to pull away from each other long enough to disrobe. In the end it didn’t really matter as they managed to get enough of themselves free to start rubbing and stroking to see who was going to make the other yell the loudest. 

* * *

Every inch of her seemed to spring to life all at once. If a city could burst into song, she would have. So much like those who belonged here, yet so different. The one who had the spark, he still hadn’t spoken to her yet, but he was powering her up as never before. Following her programming, she sighted the ships of the empty ones. There were many of them, but she would be faster. All she needed was enough power…

* * *

“S’not fair.” John panted heavily, his lips swollen and wet. 

The sight of them nearly undid Rodney. “Wha’s not fair?” He was busy pinching John’s nipples, seeing if it made the man’s cock twitch. His own member was sticking up next to John’s, leaking precum and coating them both. Bending over, he licked at one of John’s nipples, making the other man throw his head back and groan. He had a lovely neck. It reminded Rodney of John’s cock, so he reached up and sucked on it a bit. That made John’s legs tremble.

“Not fair!” John’s voice was ragged. “I only get to use one hand.” 

Rodney dragged his eyes open. Sure enough, John still hand one hand planted firmly on the column, although the other was now wrapped firmly around both their cocks, stroking erratically. Not to be outdone, Rodney placed a hand on the column and was rewarded with the entire column bathing them in light. 

* * *

The beams shot from several of her towers at once. They arched across space, cutting across distance at a frightening speed. The Wraith ships had just enough time to see their own death coming for them. Several smaller craft began to peel away from the main fleet, firing blue beams of energy, but she was too fast for them. A matter of seconds later, there was not enough left of the ships to rub two atoms together. The fleet had been annihilated. 

* * *

John smiled at him, making his insides curl. “I guess Atlantis likes you too, Rodney. What are you going to do now that you only have one hand?”

Leering, Rodney squirmed and shifted until their balls were pressed against each other and snaked a hand underneath. He gently cupped and rolled them and the feeling of being held by Rodney while stroking them both off was more than John could take. He forced himself to look at Rodney and panted out “Love you” before throwing his head back and howling his release. The sight of that pale throat stretched before him was all it took and Rodney bit his lip as he followed John. 

Coming down from one of the most intense and pleasurable orgasms he could ever remember having, John held onto Rodney so he wouldn’t fall over. They panted and heaved, sweat rolling down their backs as their hearts slowed. Leaning against the column, John was surprised to see it was still bathing them in soft white light. It made the experience surreal.

Rodney tentatively stroked his face, coughing as he tried to speak. “So, did you mean that?”

John closed his eyes slowly, thinking back. He was about to call Rodney on belaboring the point, but based on what Rodney had told him about his first experience with love, he imagined Rodney had cause to be wary. Taken for granted and socially inept, Rodney had built his prickly persona so securely around himself it was likely no one had tried to get in for some time. John had managed it, but he was going to have to do some work to keep it. He kissed him gently, loving the feel of his lips against Rodney’s incoming beard. “Yeah, I think I could.” 

Rodney seemed pleased. If John had said he loved him outright, Rodney wasn’t sure if he would have trusted him. He was just about to say something terribly important when the light sputtered erratically and the building shook. John covered his head and rolled them off the bench. 

* * *

The blue beams followed her back. Apparently the empty ones now had a way to retaliate. She had called the remaining power back to her, intending on using it to bring herself back to full power, but the empty one’s beams followed, feeding on her own power and doubling it. She calculated quickly and began rerouting furiously. 

* * *

“What? I thought you said the beam was outgoing?” Weir stood behind the tech at the console, wondering when all hell had broken loose. “Sheppard! McKay!” And where the hell were those two?

* * *

She had taken a lot of damage to her weapons array, and it would not function again without extensive repair, but it had been worth it. If she hadn’t fed the power into other areas, the power room would have exploded. The fact that it would have taken half the city with it was of little concern to her. Her main function was to protect the one being who still possessed the spark. She watched him in the weeks after she had destroyed the empty ones, but he still didn’t seem to know how to talk to her. She tracked him as he wandered about, and she began to learn the life signs of those who he interacted with the most. By far he spent the most time with one of them, and she was pleased that that one seemed to be trying to talk to her as well. She watched as their heartbeats pulled together at night and resolved to wait. She was nothing if not patient.

Fin

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this ages ago, but I hope it amused you. Feedback Is like a wormhole. One hellava ride.


End file.
